


upon a day, came Sorrow into me

by bichaelmanes



Series: Immortal Husbands fics [3]
Category: The Old Guard (Movie 2020)
Genre: Angst, Character Death, Heartbreaking, Hurt, Hurt No Comfort, M/M, it is his time
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-03
Updated: 2020-08-03
Packaged: 2021-03-06 03:21:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,342
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25696465
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bichaelmanes/pseuds/bichaelmanes
Summary: Joe and Nicky face the worst thing yet.Companion piece toneither the angels nor the demons
Relationships: Joe | Yusuf Al-Kaysani/Nicky | Nicolò di Genova
Series: Immortal Husbands fics [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1866865
Comments: 7
Kudos: 94





	upon a day, came Sorrow into me

**Author's Note:**

> Companion piece to [neither the angels nor the demons](https://archiveofourown.org/works/25658632), with the roles reversed this time.
> 
> The title is from the sonnet by Dante.
> 
> I'm terribly sorry. I need to go write some fluff soon.

Nicky was woefully unprepared, which quite frankly surprised him more than he would admit. For years, centuries, Nicky had known that death was coming, even for them. It would just take longer. He’d watched Andy grow old and die, a bittersweet memory that he took out and held close to his heart whenever he missed his boss, his mentor, his friend, too much. He’d been forced to sit there, and watch Booker slowly sink into a dreamless sleep from which he would never return, finally at peace with the world and himself.

Nicky knew death was part of life, their life. “Time is coming for all of us,” he always said sagely. “When it is our time, it is our time.”

Nicky was about to find out that this wisdom was harder to put into practice than he had ever feared.

“Nicky…” Joe’s strained voice pulled him out of his sleep, and he felt the arms around him tremble. “ _Nicolò_ , wake up.”

Nicky sat upright at once, gun already in his hand, looking around. Their room was empty, except for the two of them, and there was no danger in sight. Then he looked down at his Joe, the love of his life, and his eyes widened. He was lying in a pool of blood. Panicked, Nicky looked at himself, his shirt partially drenched. “Oh no,” Nicky said, sitting up on his knees and fluttering his hands over Joe’s body, trying to find the source of the blood – _so much blood_. “Joe, what happened, how is this possible?”

“I don’t know, I don’t know,” Joe groaned. “I thought it’d healed, I swear – ” Joe pulled up his shirt and Nicky went absolutely white. There was a huge gash in Joe’s stomach, something that _should_ have closed, and Joe _should’ve_ felt that earlier, _what the fuck_.

“No, no, _no_ ,” Nicky said, panicking completely. “ _Nile! Kati! Help!_ ”

Nile and Kati wasted no time bursting through the door, weapons raised, ready to fight. Nicky looked at them in desperation. “ _Help me_ ,” he moaned, his hands already soaked in Joe’s blood.

Nile turned extremely pale, then dropped her gun to the floor with a clatter and ran to the bathroom for supplies, but Kati kept staring. This was the first time they’d seen one of them die, as they’d joined shortly after Booker died.

 _Dios,_ he was going to be the last one left. The pain of that realization hit him like a freight train. (He was actually hit by a freight train once. This was, somehow, worse.) “No, no, no, no, Joe, don’t do this to me!” he said, panic in his voice, as he looked back down at his love, his heart, his entire world.

“ _Nicolò_ , it is you who always says…” Joe said, with a weak cough and a loving smile.

Nicky shook his head frantically. “I _know_ what I always say, but you _cannot_ leave me!”

Joe lifted his hand to touch Nicky’s face and Nicky leaned into the touch, closing his eyes. Joe’s fingers were already frighteningly cold. Nicky knew Nile was bringing the supplies for no reason; Joe had lost too much blood. “ _Amore mio_ ,” Joe whispered, “you have been there by my side my entire immortal life. You _saved_ me. You protected me when I was weak, was there when I was strong.”

“Then let me protect you _now_ , let me save you,” Nicky said, his voice breaking as tears ran freely down his face. He leaned down to press his forehead to Joe’s. “Please, _habibi_ , do not leave me alone in this world. _Please_ …”

“ _Nicolò di Genova_ , you know that is not how this works. I’m sorry that I am leaving you now, after so many years together. I wish we could’ve gone together. But I will wait for you. Wherever it is I am going, I will be waiting for you when it is your time.”

“I can’t do this without you…” Nicky sobbed, shaking his head as if to deny the entire possibility of his Yusuf leaving him.

Joe laughed, pulled back his face a little to look into Nicky’s eyes. “Of course you can, my love, my heart. You are stronger than anyone I have ever met. You will be fine.”

“ _No_ ,” Nicky said, shaking his head before kissing Joe hard, afraid that it would be too late, that he would never get to kiss his Joe again. “I’m not strong, _mi hai fatto forte_ , _you_ did that.”

Joe smiled again. “I love you, _Nicolò_. You are my life, my love, my heart. That will never change. _Tu ed io fino alla fine, Nicolò_. That is something even death cannot change.”

Nicky shook his head, nearly in shock now as he held Joe in his arms while the life slowly drained out of him. Nile and Kati were quietly sobbing next to the bed, already grieving while giving Nicky the chance for his last goodbye. “I love you, _Yusuf_. What am I supposed to do without you?”

Joe’s eyes flickered to Nile and Kati, and he stretched out his hand for them to take. Nile kissed the back of his hand in farewell. Nicky could barely stomach the heartbreak that little moment caused him. “You take care of these two. You keep fighting, you keep doing good. You are _kind-hearted_ , _Nico_. Do not lose that because of me, I beg of _you_ …” On the last word, Joe dissolved into a coughing fit and Nicky felt more blood spill onto the bed. “It is my time, Nico. I will be at peace. And I will wait for you. _Promisso_.”

Nicky leaned his forehead against Joe’s again. “‘Neither the angels in Heaven above, nor the demons under the sea, can ever dissever my soul from the beautiful Yusuf al-Kaysani’,” he whispered.

“Poe,” Yusuf said, smiling softly and stroking Nicky’s cheeks. “And _I’m_ the one who’s an incurable romantic?”

“You bring out the best in me, my Yusuf,” he said, putting on a brave smile, and then ducked his head down to press his lips to Joe’s again, for what he instinctively knew would be the last time. Joe responded, however weakly, but Nicky felt the hand fall away from his face, the last of Joe’s strength leaving him. “Joe?” There was no response.

“ _No_ ,” Nile squeaked.

Nicky stared at his lover’s face, his fingers roaming over the still features in Joe’s face. His eyes were closed, looking for all the world as if he were asleep. Nicky felt a stab of pain pass through his heart, and he doubled over, letting out a howl that tore through his very soul. He felt as if his heart was being torn out of his chest, the pain overtaking his entire body, and he screamed his pain into the world. When he’d exhausted all of his strength, he fell forward, his face pressed in Joe’s chest, sobbing quietly. Softly, as if to still reach Joe, wherever he was, Nicky began to rhythmically, but unsteadily, sing, “ _Ti amo._ _Non ho nessun pensiero che non sia tuo; non ho nel sangue nessun desiderio che non sia per te. Lo sai. Non vedo nella mia vita altro compagno, non vedo altra gioia. Rimani. Riposati. Non temere di nulla. Dormi stanotte sul mio cuore…_ ”

“Nicky, I’m so sorry,” Nile said, her voice choked with tears, as she reached to touch Nicky’s shoulder. “What can we do, what do you need?”

“ _Joe_ ,” Nicky said pathetically, his fingers winding in Joe’s blood-soaked shirt. “What do I do now?”

Nile held tightly to his shoulder, Kati holding just as tight to Nile’s hand. A family of three now. Nicky’s heart broke some more. “We’re going to get through this together.”

“He was always with me…what do I do without him?” Nicky’s voice cracked on every syllable. “I’m alone…” Nicky looked at Joe’s face, in which he could still see the man he loved, even as his soul had already left.

Yusuf ibn Ibrahim ibn Muhammad ibn al-Kaysani was gone from this world.

Nicolò di Genova was alone.

**Author's Note:**

> Let me know what you think!
> 
> The poem Nicky "sang": (part of) Rimani by Gabriele D’Annunzio.  
> English translation: I love you. I do not have any thought that is not yours;  
> I have no desire in the blood that is not for you.  
> You know. I do not see in my life another companion, I see no other joy  
> Stay.  
> Rest. Do not be afraid of anything.  
> Sleep tonight on my heart…


End file.
